Door-knob.



W. C. HARLOW'& H. L. TOWLE.

DOOR KNOB.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1913.

Patented July 21, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER C. HARLOW, OF BROOKLYN, NEWYORK, AND HERBERT L. TOWLE, OF GLENSIDE, PENNSYLVANIA.

f i DOOR-KNOB.

Specification of 'Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, (1) lVAL'rnn O. Hannow and (2) HERBERT L. TowLn, citi- Zens of the United States, residing at (1) Brooklyn and (2) Glenside, in the counties of (1) Kings and (2) Montgomery and States of (1) New York and (2) Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Door-Knobs, of which theffollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to door knobs having a very thin exterior metal shell, and re lying for structural strength on a filling of suitable cement or composition, which supports the shell and affords, in conjunction with certain other parts to be described, means for connecting the shell and the central squared spindle together, and One of the objects of our invention is to provide means for adjusting accurately the length of the spindle between the knobs to the thickness of the door, without using the washers ordinarily employed for this purose.

p Another object is to render it impossible to remove the outer knob, when applied to an outside door, except by first removing the inner knob.

Further objects are to simplify and cheapen the processes of manufacture and increase the strength of the'knob to resist rough usage.

WVe attain these results by means of the structures shown in the drawings which accompany this specification, in 'which- Figure 1 shows in section one'knob of a pair constructed according to our invention. This knob is designed more articularly for use on the outer side of a door, since it cannot be removed except by first removing the knob from the inner end of the spindle. Fig. 2 shows the other knob of a pair constructed according to our invention. This may be removed 'from the spindle with the aid of a screw driver, and is designed more particularly as a companion knob to that shown in Fig. 1, and for interior locations generally. Fig. 3 showsan enlarged view of an interiorly threaded sleeve forming part of the kn b Shown in Fig. 1. Fi t shows an enlarged view of a two-part casing which surrounds the sleeve shown in F ig. 3. A portion of one part of the casmg is broken away to indicate the form more clearly. Fig. 5 shows a Wrench or spanner suitable for use in turning the sleeve shown in, Fig. 3. F ig, 6 shows an enlarged view of a tubular supporting piece forming part of the knob shown in Fig. 2.

F ig.'7 is an enlarged perspective View of a channel shaped stiffening piece, also forming part of the knob shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 shows a modified structure of the channel piece, which may take the place of the two pieces shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a section showing the channel piece of Fig. 8, in place.

Similar letters refer to similar parts tl'iroughout the several views.

In. F 1, A indicates the knob, and B the spindle. The metal shell of the knob is conveniently formed in two parts, a crown shell a and a neck shell a and is interiorly supported by a mass a of some suitable cement or composition, such as oxychlorid of magnesia, which is introduced in a plastic state into the shells a and a separately, fter which said shells are united as shown or in any other convenient manner, and the cement is permitted to harden.

The square spindle B has a screw thread cut on its edges, giving it the properties of a screw without wholly destroying the squareness of its section.

Fitting the threads on spindle B is an interiorly threaded sleeve 0, (Fig. 3) having on its inner end a flange 0, and in its outer end one or more notches 0 the engagement whereof with a suitable spanner enables the sleeve 0 to be turned. This sleeve 0 is inclosed by a stiflening frame or casing, in which it is sufficiently loose to turn freely without unnecessary play, as shown in Fig. l. Said casing is composed of a cylinder (Z having a radial flange d at its inner end provided with an annular wall d together with a cap portion (Z having a central aperture to receive the spindle B, and adapted to fit over the annular wall d? at the cylinder end. The said casing is introduced into the mass a while the latter is plastic, and after the mass 04 hardens the casing cannot be removed. v

The shell a is cut away circularly at a to approximately the diameter of the body of the sleeve 0, permitting the latter to be rotated by engaging the notches c c with a spanner.

In the center of the mass a is a cavity or axial recess a, substantially square in cross section and adapted to receive the end of the square spindle B, preventing the spindle from rotating. This cavity is of a depth along its axis sufiicient to allow of any revented.

The spanner for turning the sleeve 0 may be of any suitable form. That shown at C,

Fig. 5, has projections c to engage the.

notches c and is operated by slipping it over the spindle, the other knob of the pair being removed.

The other knob of the pair, shown at D in Fig. 2, is secured on the spindle by the conventional screw passing through the neck of the knob into the spindle, but it embodies certain improvements made necessary by the thinness of the metal shell and the character of the cement filling, which are designed to give it the strength neededto resist rough usage. In the figure, a, a indicate the bipart members of the shell, as before, and a the cement filling.

B indicates the spindle, which may be the other end of the spindle used in the knob A. Instead of having screw threads cut on its edges, it has one or more holes 5 b drilled and tapped toreceive a screw E. The pressure of this screw, which tends to crush the shell and cement between its head and the spindle B, is supported by a'tubular piece '6, countersunk at its outer end to fit the shell where the latter is countersunk under the head of the screw, This piece 6 might bear directly against the spindle, but we prefer to have it bear against a metal stifiening frame or channel F, which incloses the spindle on three sides and has an aperture to receivescrew E. This piece Fserves three functions: It retains the support 6 in place, so that the latter cannot drop out if by any chance it works loose from the surrounding cement; it givesa smooth metal surface to three sides of the hole that receives the spindle, thereby facilitating the process of manufacture; and it contributes to the strength and stiffness of the neckof the knob.

To facilitate still further the process of shown in Fig. 8, wherein the channel F has I the annular wall f integrally formed about the aperture, to act as a-support in the same manner as the support 6. Evidently, also, the form of the channel may undergo various modifications without departing from the spirit of our invention. For example, its sides might be narrower than shown, or they might be extended and bent over so as to inclose the fourth side of the spindle as well as the other three sides.

It will be understood that we do not limit our invention so as to exclude such departures from the exactforms shown as may be 'made without departing from the spirit of our invention. 1

In attaching this door-knob to the door, the spindle B is adjusted in the knob A until the screw E in the knob D accurately registers with one of the openings 5. 'B then screwing this screw into the spindle B, both knobs are held in proper relation.

WVe claim: 1

1. A door-knob composed of a shell of thin material, a' plastic filling therefor, a stiffening frame in the neck of the door knob and embedded in said filling, an internally threaded member inclosed by said knob and rotatable in said frame but held against longitudinal movement, a threaded spindle in said threaded member, and means independent of said frame for preventing relative rotation of the spindle and knob.

2. A door-knob composed of a shell of thin material, a plastic filling therefor, a tubular easing'placed in the neck of the door knob and embedded in said filling, an in teriorly threaded sleeve inclosed by said knob and rotatably fitted within said casing, and a spindle having screw threads upon its edges and engaged thereby within said sleeve.

3. In a-door-knob, in combination, a shell comprising a cooperating crown shell and neck shell, a plastic filling therefor supporting and securing said shells rigidly to-gether,said filling being axially recessed, a spindle having screw threads uponits edges and entered within said recess, an

interiorly threaded sleeve about said spindle,'a casing for said sleeve permitting rotary movement but preventing longitudinal i movement of the latter, said casing being embedded in and secured by said filling and means for turning said sleeve to advance or return the spindle.

4. A door-knob composed of a shell of thin material, a plastic filling therefor, a stiffening frame in the neck of the knob, said filling securely uniting the shell and the frame, a spindle passing through said frame, and a screw-threaded element cooperating with the frame and spindle for securing said spindle against longitudinal movement in said frame.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures 1n presence of two wltnesses.

WALTER C. HARLOW. HERBERT L. TOWLE.

Witnesses to the signature of Herbert L. Towle:

REBEooA PENN, LINDA STRAUSS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentl, Washington, D. G. 

